Bogie wheel crab lubrication?

[jamboly]

Does the bogie wheel assembly crab (part that volute springs sit on (L in figure 120 TM9-710)), get any kind of lubrication, and if so how and what.  When taking my bogie wheels off, the crab on the left side will rock back and forth a little.  The one on the right must be rusted in place, because it will not move at all.

[spec4don]

I found mine frozen up too. I had to drive the small pins out of the blocks on the crab. Then have the pins pressed out at the machine shop. I then sand blasted everything. I went ahead and drilled a hole for a grease zerk in the piece that holds the volute springs.

Don G.

[spec4don]

This is on ebay but this what I did to my volute spring holder. One of my pins was stepped in the center the other one wasn't.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USED-G102-HALFTRACK-SUSPENSION-CRAB-MOUNT-/130982908598?pt=Other_Vehicle_Parts&hash=item1e7f3092b6&vxp=mtr

Don G.

[jamboly]

Thanks, looks like I will have fun getting it apart.  Grease fitting also seems to be in order.

[yd328]

They can be tough to come apart. I had to use an air hammer to work it back and forth before it started moving, my 40 ton press would not move them. It took a good part of a day. I started by drilling a hole for the grease fitting and putting in the penetrating oil. Guys have also torched them out.

Gary

[andy]

And here was what my shaft looked like when it finally came out, old beside NOS one

[SDEREN]

FYI-Those pins only come out one way because of the keyway. They have to come out the side with the keyway. My first one was tough but I happened to do it the right direction. The second..... well it came out once I figured it out.
We have drilled and placed a zerk for future lubrication.

Sean

[spec4don]

Sean, now on one of my pins it had keys on both sides. My boogies and crab assemblies were different from side to side. I believe mine was a depot rebuild at some point.

Don G.

[dwhite]

I've been working two weeks trying to get the shaft out of the crab assembly... no luck.  After soaking the whole thing in ATF, I got both side blocks off.  But apparently the shaft is rusted up inside the volute spring casting to the point that at one time the end key sheared.  Anyone have any idea how much heat and pressure I can put on the casting without wrapping it while I attempt to press the shaft out?  Thanks, Dale

[spec4don]

I took mine down to the local machine shop and put it on the 200 ton press. It gave up!

Don G

[Darth_Kitten]

I had a buddy machine the old ones out. He tried a 100 ton press and no luck. He said once he got past the hardening, machining the rest was easy.

[Chrishig]

I can tell you that putting it in a press with a 20ton jack and heat didn’t work.  Lol.   It did however free up on the ground hitting back and forth with a sledge hammer. 

[spec4don]

After I had mine apart, I drilled and tapped the outer piece and put in a grease zero!

Don G

[dwhite]

The photograph above looks exactly like my approach.  Yep, doesn't work.  I'm a little leery of using a sledge hammer; my accuracy isn't that good (as my wife will tell you).  I'll check around locally and see if I can find someone with a large press.  Thanks for the suggestions!  Dale

[dwhite]

I finally got the crab assembly apart.  I have a friend that has a machine shop for large equipment.  He ended up putting the whole thing in a 500 ton press.  He was afraid with that much force he would distort the casting.  So he jigged up the assembly with quite a few blocks and restraints.  Glad to say everything is okay.  Now on to the next phase: put everything back together.